[Rogheff]

I've been carving walking sticks for years. I harvest them, then send them up to the rafters to dry. I always cut them longer than I need because of cracking at the ends.

When I recently found this forum, I see that people are talking about coating the ends. My stupid newbie question is why? Is it to protect them from cracking?

[Eddy Smiles]

No such thing as a stupid question, just stupid answers...... Yup!!!............ It's supposed to keep them from splitting but I've found on walking sticks, at least up to about 1-1/2" in diameter is that if you strip all the bark off, or at least all the bark off for at least 6-12" from each end, you'll get the same results.

[GeorgiaCarver]

Yes, in a nut shell.

I use old laytex paint laying around and just dip the ends in the paint, let it dry and then store the sticks for a year.

No stupid questions here, we have all learned a ton on this forum.

Greg

[bulldog]

Yes indeed, I coat my stick ends with latex paint like Georgiacarver said. But my basement is heated so I don't put them up in the rafters. My thinking is that they dry to fast and that this promotes cracking. Anyway, when I get done slicing and dicing and murdering the poor stick, you can't tell if it happened on it's own or if my knife intended it to be there. LOL

[Eddy Smiles]

We've had similiar posts and Bull Dog is right... it all depends where and when you place them in storage...a heated basement or a storage shed in Florida will fry them up quicker then flapjacks on a griddle!

[Thomp]

the paint is suppose to close the raw wood, with this done the water has to escape through the bark,

if the drying process is in even temperature and humidity the sticks have a positive evaporation rate less cracking-splitting happens

if the heat and humidity fluctuates rapidly in a days time the sticks will crack.

ive had cypress knees split because i put them on the top shelve in the loft near the tin roof, thinking the summer heat would dry them faster...

its beat to harvest sticks when the sap is down, after the leaves fall until spring before the sap rises again,
this gets the most of the water out naturally before its cut..

[Hugh P.]

No disagreement here, grin. My method is the same for sealing the ends, wax or paint, I use wax, but I strip the bark as soon as I get the sticks home, sometimes I strip them in the woods where I cut them. When the sticks dry I find them more difficult to strip. I've got 75 sticks that have been drying since last spring, and can't see any cracks as yet. I do cut them longer than needed, so I can cut off the wax end when there ready to use. My sticks are Willow, Aspen, Poplar, Birch and Maple. I'm not sure about different types of wood that might dry differently.

[Dennis Taylor]

I am new also to carving, but I turn a lot of wood, and I use a product called Pentrycl(sp), I coat the end grain of green wood and store it, it will without a doubt reduce/prevent cracking....I purchase mine in a 5gal bucket from WC...I have also used latex paint and have had good success with it, just pick up the can's from the paint store that are returned, don't need anything expensive, I used it for years......I would think that the paint would affect the wood that you are carving?...turning the wood, peels the paint away quickly, so I don't have a problem, not sure about carved items.....Dennis